Water exists at the core of human survival and economic development. Safe and readily available water is vital for public health, whether it is used for drinking, domestic applications, food production, or recreation. Lack of potable water throughout the world leads to an estimated yearly death toll of over 350,000 children under 5 years of age. Even highly developed countries face water contamination as aging infrastructure, expanding agriculture and industry, and an increasing population load on existing water sources lead to water safety crises. During the ongoing water contamination crisis in Flint, Mich., it is estimated that over 100 citizens died in one year as a result of consuming tainted municipal water. The number of children in Flint who suffered neurological damage due to staggeringly high lead levels may never be known.
Conventional systems for line water filtration are frequently unacceptably complex, expensive, and unadaptable. A system engineered to remove agricultural runoff in a rural area generally will not be adequate for removing the lead contamination from a pre-1980's municipal water system. Retooling such a system usually requires significant time and expense. Throughput of such systems also remains low, frequently limiting filtration to drinking water only. Such restriction can often result in contamination of clothing, eating utensils, and residential areas.
Use of conventional modular systems generally produces filtration systems which require manual installation of filters in large canisters with extensive pipe interconnections between canisters, resulting in bulky systems with a large footprint. Replacement of the filters is usually complex, has poor ergonomics, and causes water spillage which may contaminate the area. The mess and complexity of the replacement process frequently discourages proper maintenance and generally makes the systems unpopular.
There exists a continuing need for compact water purification apparatuses that enable easy access and replacement of filters.